A system and method for the reliable firmware update of a disk connected to a fibre channel loop fabric allows the specified filers and other predetermined system devices connected to the fabric to be made aware of a firmware download to the target disk without need of a system broadcast message, and while avoiding an alert or error condition such as those encountered through an FC-AL reset request. The target disk returns a special downloading firmware reject code embedded in a low-level protocol that remains operative during a firmware download. This reject code is recognized by an accessing system device as indicating that the disk is currently downloading updated firmware. In this manner, having recognized the code, the system device holds any I/O operations with respect to the target disk for a given delay time. Thus, the system device does not misinterpret the unavailability of the disk as a failure, leading to an unwanted system-wide FC-AL reset state. In one embodiment, the delay time can be approximately sixty seconds and the accessing device can poll the disk after each delay time until normal operation is restored and the reject request is no longer issued. At that time, full access to the disk is restored.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A system for reliable update of firmware to a storage device connected to a storage area network fabric comprising: a downloading firmware reject code adapted to be issued by the storage device to an accessing system device during a firmware download to the storage device; and a downloading firmware reject code mechanism in the system device that recognizes the downloading firmware reject code so as to prevent initiation of a reset request by the system device.
2. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the downloading firmware reject code comprises a reject code in a fibre channel specification having a downloading firmware reason for rejection.
3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mechanism is adapted to cause the system device to wait a predetermined delay time before retrying access to the storage device.
4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the downloading firmware reject code is adapted to be issued in response to a log in to the storage device by the system device.
5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mechanism resides in a fibre channel adapter layer of the system device.
6. A method for reliable update of firmware to a disk drive connected to a storage area network fabric comprising: issuing a downloading firmware reject code from the disk drive to an accessing system device during a firmware download to the disk drive; and recognizing the downloading firmware reject code at the system device so as to prevent initiation of a reset request by the system device.
7. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the downloading firmware reject code comprises a reject code in a fibre channel specification having a downloading firmware reason for rejection portion.
8. The method as set forth in claim 6 wherein the step of recognizing causes the system device to wait a predetermined delay time before retrying access to the disk drive.
9. The method as set forth in claim 7 wherein the step of issuing the downloading firmware reject code is in response to a log in to the disk drive by the system device.
10. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the mechanism resides in a fibre channel adapter layer of the system device.
11. A computer-readable medium for reliable update of firmware to a storage device connected to a storage area network fabric, including program instructions for performing the steps of: issuing a downloading firmware reject code from the storage device to an accessing system device during a firmware download to the storage device; and recognizing the downloading firmware reject code at the system device so as to prevent initiation of a reset request by the system device.
12. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 11 wherein the downloading firmware reject code comprises a reject code in a fibre channel arbitrated loop specification having a downloading firmware reason for rejection portion.
13. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 12 wherein the step of recognizing causes the system device to wait a predetermined delay time before retrying access to the storage device.
14. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 13 wherein the step of issuing the downloading firmware reject code is in response to a log in to the disk drive by the system device.
15. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 14 wherein the mechanism resides in a fibre channel adapter layer of the system device.
16. The computer-readable medium as set forth in claim 11 wherein the storage device comprises a disk drive.
17. A method for quiescing I/O operations to a storage device by a predetermined system device during firmware update of the storage device comprising the steps of: in response to a log-in of the predetermined system device to perform I/O operations, issuing by the storage device of a downloading firmware reject code in a protocol that remains operative during a firmware download to the storage device, the downloading firmware reject code being recognized by the predetermined system device; causing the predetermined system device to await a delay time before retrying log-in to the storage device and to suspend the I/O operations each time a downloading firmware reject code is recognized; and upon end of the firmware update, ceasing to issue the downloading firmware reject code and thereby enabling I/O operations to resume.
18. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the storage device comprises a disk drive.
19. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein the downloading firmware reject code comprises a reject code in the fibre channel specification having a downloading firmware reason for rejection portion.
20. The method as set forth in claim 17 wherein each of the system device and the storage device reside on a storage area network fabric.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 23, 2003
March 13, 2007
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